Morning Vista Heights School Community, February has been a meaningful month of learning and celebration at Vista Heights. Through our Olympic activities, highlighted by the many flags displayed around the school, students explored global connections, teamwork, and national pride. The flags sparked rich conversations about heritage, home countries, and how we are connected across the world. Our portrait projects further deepened this sense of belonging, as students reflected on who they are, where they come from, and the family traditions that shape them. While each story is unique, together they show the strength of our shared community. This year was especially unique as Lunar New Year and Ramadan aligned within 24 hours of one another. Students learned about different calendars, lunar and solar, and how cultures mark time and celebrate important traditions, sparking curiosity and respect for diverse perspectives. Thank you for continuing to support this important work. Our diversity is our strength, and together we are building a community where every child belongs. Book Fair | February 24-26 Vista Heights School is excited to welcome the Scholastic Book Fair back again this year! This shopping experience is always a highlight for students. During this week, students will have a chance to both window shop and bring funds to school to shop. You can anticipate flyers being sent home to support this activity. - Tuesday, February 24: Classroom Viewing Day
- Student Purchases: Wednesday & Thursday PM
- Parent Purchases: Wednesday & Thursday 8:30-9:00AM & 3:00-4:00PM
Road Safety | Crosswalk AMA Safety Patrollers are back at the crosswalk, ensuring student safety. However, some drivers have raised concerns about students crossing mid-block for convenience, which poses a safety risk. Please encourage your children to take the extra time to walk to the corner, where our patrollers are ready to assist them in crossing safely, and thank you parents for taking the extra time to model appropriate crossing of the street. Your support helps keep everyone safe, and our drivers truly appreciate it! Floors | Indoor Shoes We encourage students to wear a pair of clean indoor shoes at school. Proper footwear helps prevent injuries during physical education and keeps our school clean. This is a great time to check if your child has outgrown their shoes and may need a larger size. We also highly recommend a second pair of appropriate outdoor footwear, as classes regularly go on community walks, and the playground can be damp. Students are naturally drawn to puddles, so proper outdoor shoes help keep them comfortable. Ramadan | Prayer Supervision Ramadan Mubarak! We have adjusted our supervision schedule to accommodate Thuhir prayer for students. Interested students will have the opportunity to participate between 12:50-1:00 p.m. Please remind your children to perform their ablution during lunch break so they are ready for prayer. Prayer mats will be provided for all students participating, but students are also welcome to bring a prayer mat from home. Student Learning Conferences | March 19 & 20 We will be using the Calgary Board of Education On-Line Booking System in your MyCBE account to schedule conferences. Currently, conferences for students in grades 1-6 will be held on Thursday, March 19 in person and Friday, March 20 via phone/online. Due to Eid, Ms. Noon & Ms. Khan have different schedules for Student Learning Conferences. Please use the same on-line booking system to select a time or reach out the teacher directly to schedule a conference time. Link for MyCBE Account: https://sis.cbe.ab.ca Link for instructions: https://cbe.ab.ca/support/Pages/MyCBE-PowerSchool-School-Conferences-Booking.aspx 2026-2026 School Planning | Will you be at Vista Heights Next Year? Spring is when all schools receive their annual budgets and determine their staffing needs for the following school year. Student enrollment impacts: - The number of staff members, including teachers, educational assistants, and lunchroom supervisors
- Grade configurations (straight grades or combined grades)
- Class sizes and the number of classrooms we can have
As we begin planning for the 2026-2027 school year, we ask that families let the school know if they are planning on attending a different school for the upcoming school year. We will be sending home a ‘Return to School Survey’. We never want students to leave us, but we know that some of our families are moving to new communities. If this impacts you, please call our main office if you are planning to move your students next year and we can help you with the transition process to a new school. Thank you so much for helping us keep track of our enrollments, as it helps us with planning for next year. Winter Wellness Challenge This month, Vista Heights students are participating in our Winter Wellness Challenge, a school-wide initiative designed to build healthy habits, emotional regulation skills, and strong relationships. Through simple daily activities, classroom conversations, and outdoor movement, students are developing self-awareness, self-regulation, and positive decision-making skills aligned with the Alberta curriculum and CBE’s Well-Being Framework. As we approach Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, our learning will focus on kindness, inclusion, and standing up for one another. The Winter Wellness Challenge supports students in understanding their emotions, managing big feelings, and responding to conflict in respectful ways, reinforcing that wellbeing, belonging, and caring for others are everyone’s responsibility. Alberta Education Assurance Survey | Parents, Students, Teachers Parents of students in grades 4-6 will be asked to complete the Alberta Education Assurance Survey to gather parent voice to assess what is working well and where there is room for improvement. The survey random access code was emailed to eligible parents Friday, January 30, 2026, from CBE School Improvement along with the survey link. The final day to complete this survey is Monday March 2, 2026. Parents, please check your email to complete this survey and select Vista Heights School in the dropdown menu. School Planning Engagement | Feedback Thank you to the parents who participated in our School Planning Engagement meeting on Tuesday, February 10. During the meeting, we shared updates on Vista Heights School’s School Development Plan, school budget, and school fees. We appreciated the thoughtful feedback shared. Parents expressed support for how the budget has been used to lower class sizes and maintain zero school fees. This also led to meaningful conversations about potential fundraising opportunities, classroom needs, and what priorities are most important for administration moving forward. We warmly invite all parents to attend our School Council meetings to stay informed about what is happening at Vista Heights and to continue sharing your voice in decisions that shape our school community. School Council | Gratitude To the amazing team who spent the long weekend volunteering their time to support the entire Vista Heights School community, thank you! Your generosity, commitment, and willingness to give up your weekend truly make a difference for our students and families. Families, if you know someone who worked over the long weekend, please take a moment to thank your neighbour and show your appreciation. Our community is stronger because of you. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Upcoming Events - February 23: Conference Schedule Live for Booking
- February 24: Report Cards Available Online (IPPs sent home this week)
- February 24: Book Fair Classroom Visits
- February 25 & 26: Book Fair Shopping (Parents & Students *See Schedule)
- February 25: Grade 1-2 Field Trip to Telus Spark
- February 25: Friends Pizza & Pasta Fundraiser (Portion of Sales Support Vista)
- February 25: Pink Shirt Day
- February 27: Non-Instructional Day, No School
- March 2-6: Room 3 Healthy Living School Field Trip
- March 3: Grade 3-4 Field Trip to Telus Spark
- March 5-6: Room 7 & Room 9 Conferences (See Online Booking Schedule)
- March 8: Daylight Savings Time
- March 9-13: Room 1 Healthy Living School Field Trip
- March 13: Elder Saa’kokoto | Blackfoot teachings
- March 18: William Singer III | Indigenous Knowledge on Plants
- March 19-20: Grade 1-6 Student Learning Conferences (See Online Booking Schedule)
- March 20: Non-Instructional Day, No School
- March 23-27: Spring Break, No School
- March 30: Classes Resume
Dates of Significance for Truth & Reconciliation: - March 20: Spring Equinox
- March 20: World Storytelling Day (Theme: Light in the Dark)
- March 22: World Water Day
Dates of Significance to Honour the Community: - March: Irish Heritage Month
- March 4: Holi
- March 8: International Women’s Day
- March 14: Pi Day
- March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
- March 20: Persian New Year (Nowruz)
- March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- March 28: Earth Hour
- March 19-22: Eid al Fitr
Thank you for your continued support to support a safe, caring and welcoming school for all students and families. Check us out on Instagram page: @vista_heights_school_cbe Ms. Jessica Principal, Vista Heights School | 